Parallel
by whowhatsitwhich
Summary: Tonight's dream was the worst of the lot. They came almost every night and the circles under her eyes showed the toll they were taking. "You have a warped mind," she muttered to herself. "Dreaming about the dead walking and the end of the world. At least it's original."
1. Chapter 1

_Ed lay on the ground in a bloody heap, recognizable only by the tattered remnants of his shirt. Her hands shook as she looked at him, more tired than she'd ever been in her life. She couldn't tell the others about the tangled ball of emotions fighting for dominance in her head and heart. There was grief. He was the father of her child and her husband of fifteen years. There was anger. She and her daughter were alone now. How could she keep Sophia safe? And there was relief. She was free. He would never hurt her again. He wouldn't look at her baby with that malicious gleam in his eyes. She let out a shuddering breath, putting the thoughts aside so they wouldn't see. They'd never understand and she didn't have words to explain it. _

_She made her hesitant way over to the young man holding the pick ax. Glenn, a small voice prompted in the back of her mind, his name is Glenn. He straightened as she drew closer and eyed her uncertainly.  
"I'll do it," she mumbled as she held out her hand. "He's my husband." The boy wordlessly surrendered the ax and stood aside._

_She brought it to her shoulder, the handle warm and sweat slick as she wrapped her fingers firmly around it and swung with all her strength. The meaty thud as it connected with Ed's skull roiled her stomach. She tugged it free and hefted it again. Thud. Blood and bits of bone arced through the air, peppering her hands and arms in gore. Thud. Tears misted and made burning tracks down her cheeks. I hate you, she swore furiously in her head. I hope you're rotting in hell. Her shoulders burned with the force of her swing. I hope you rot in hell. _

Her eyes flew open, the dull thrum of the ceiling fan the only sound in the room besides her rapid breathing. Her heart pounded furiously in her ears as she looked hurriedly around. She raised her hands, eyes widening as she took note of the crescent-shaped tears in her palms. She flexed her fingers and hissed as the torn flesh protested.

"Carol," a raspy voice came out of the dark and pulled her head around. "You alright?"

Her tongue knotted as she tried to formulate an answer to his simple question. Was she alright? She shook her head and dropped her gaze to where her thumb kneaded her palm. Crimson beads dotted the stinging cuts. She hissed as she inadvertently brushed one and again when he caught her hand, swearing softly under his breath. "It's okay," she assured him. "They're not deep. Don't worry."

He pushed aside the dark hank of hair that perpetually fell in his eyes and shot her an exasperated look. "It's not okay," he growled. "These damned dreams are getting worse. Dammit, woman, you're tore all to hell." He tossed the blankets aside and rolled to his feet. "Don't move."

"Daryl," she called after him. "I'm fine. Really. I can take care of it."

He stuck his head through the adjoining door, bristling with annoyance as he leveled a finger in her direction. "Just hush and sit still. I'm gonna take care of you whether you like it or not." He nodded for emphasis before disappearing into the bathroom.

She huffed out a laugh as she listened to him open cupboards, muttering to himself. Four years of marriage and he still treated her like a porcelain doll. Daryl Dixon might look like a badass but underneath the rough exterior beat one of the softest hearts she'd ever seen. She settled against the pillows and closed her eyes. Tonight's dream was the worst of the lot. They came almost every night and the circles under her eyes showed the toll they were taking. "You have a warped mind," she muttered to herself. "Dreaming about the dead walking and the end of the world. At least its original."

She shivered as those images rolled through her mind. She could still feel the weight of the ax in her hands and hear the sound it made as it sank into pale, pallid flesh. "Sophia," she mouthed, passing her hand over her swollen belly as she remembered feathery blonde hair and blue eyes the shade of a warm summer sky. "Is that your name?"


	2. Chapter 2

Parallel

Chapter 2: Déjà vu

He looked like Santa Claus. That was the first thing that popped in her head when Dr. Hershel Greene came in to the exam room. Her first visit had been with a pretty blonde who introduced herself as Dr. Andrea Harrison. She was pleasant, professional, and handled Daryl's distrustful stares with veiled amusement. When he stepped out for a cigarette, the doctor turned to Carol with a conspiratorial smile.

"_Mrs. Dixon, it would be my pleasure to monitor you during your pregnancy but your husband doesn't seem too happy with that prospect." She leaned against the small sink and crossed her legs at the ankle. "I want you to be comfortable but I wouldn't feel right if I didn't give you a piece of advice. Include him as much as you can. I see a lot of fathers and every one of them are different. The ones who want to be involved, who come to every appointment, and read the What to Expect books…well, those are the ones that keep my hopes up. You have one of those. So take a minute and talk to him. I'll be happy whatever the two of you decide." _

_When Daryl came back, she put it to him point-blank. "Why don't you like her?"_

_He shifted guiltily and avoided her eyes. "It ain't that. If you like her, that's all that matters." _

_Again stubbornly, "Why, Daryl?" _

_He huffed in annoyance, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared raptly at the ceiling. "She looks like a fucking Barbie."_

_Carol rolled her eyes before she could help herself but managed to keep sarcasm out of her voice when she questioned, "What does that have to do with anything? She's a good doctor and comes highly recommended. I like her." _

_He gnawed on his thumbnail as he turned it over in his mind. "You like her," he repeated under his breath. She knew the moment he put aside his misgivings, could see it in the way his shoulders squared and his jaw firmed. "Alright. Fine."_

"_You sure," Carol asked solicitously. "This is as much your decision as mine, honey."_

_The corner of him mouth tipped up into that sideways smirk that never failed to trip her heart. "I'm sure," he assured her. "It's all good as long as you're happy." _

_She beckoned him closer, winding her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. "I am happy," she confided softly. "We're having a baby." His low chuff of laughter sent a ripple of goose-flesh down her back as his breath played over the tender flesh of her neck. _

"_I'm gonna take care of you both," he vowed fiercely, dropping tiny open-mouthed kisses along her collar-bone. "I promise, Carol. You won't want for nothing." _

"_I know," she breathed. "I never had a doubt. Not one." _

Carol couldn't hold back her laughter at the skeptical looks the kindly Dr. Greene was receiving from her husband. It was an instant replay of her first time in this office except her belly was now noticeably rounded. She swung her feet, letting her heels clatter against the metal base as she eyed the two men.

"Now, mamma, I just want to check your blood pressure and a few other things. Then, we'll talk about what brought you in today." He didn't acknowledge the silent man standing sentry in the corner with anything but a brief glance. He went through the usual formalities, made approving noises when the various monitors beeped their findings, and then settled on the stool. "It looks good, right where you should be at this stage except for those circles under your eyes. What's the problem, mamma?"

Surprisingly, Daryl answered before she could. "She's having bad dreams, Doc. They're coming almost every night."

The man's brows drew together as he made a note on his pad. "What kind of dreams and how often?"

Carol worried her bottom lip. "Almost every night," she said reluctantly. "They're vivid, almost like watching a movie or something. They seem so real." She raised troubled blue eyes, seeking Daryl's out for reassurance. He gave her a reassuring nod and gestured for her to continue. "I feel silly because it's ridiculous. I'm in some sort of camp with my daughter. The dead are walking and they eat the living. My husband was bit and I had to put him down. It was horrible. My daughter was there too but she's older."

Dr. Greene's eyes widened as she finished. He looked at Daryl with wry amusement, "You haven't made her mad, have you, son?" He got a snort and a hateful look by way of reply. And it's always the same kind of dream, full of fear and death and all that?" He nodded to himself as Carol nodded. "Okay, let me look at a few things so I can get familiar with your history and then we'll talk." He shared a smile between then as he slipped out the door.

"He looks like Santa Claus," she groused. "I feel like an idiot, Daryl. It's just bad dreams."

"It's keeping you up nights," he argued. "Either they're kicking your ass or she is." He gestured toward the swell of her belly. "Maybe that's what we'll call her, Lil Asskicker. Her uncle Merle would like that."

"We'll call my daughter that over Merle's dead body," Carol returned acerbically. "Quit trying to change the subject. I want to go home."

"After the Doc gets back," Daryl hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and leaned back against the wall.

Carol's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "I want to go home," she repeated.

He was saved by the door opening and Dr. Greene issuing low-voiced orders to a nurse. "Alright then, I've looked over your file, Mrs. Dixon. Everything is as it should be from a numbers standpoint. Weight, blood pressure, heart rate are all within normal ranges. It's normal to have worries and concerns. They usually show up in dreams and other ways. We just have to figure out what's causing yours." He eyed them over the top of his pad. "Here's what I want you to do. Go home. Eat a good meal. Spend time together. Copulate if you feel up to it. Quit worrying. You're not the first to bear a child and you won't be the last. I've got three of my own and one of them just made me a grandfather. I'm telling you the same thing I told my Maggie when she got close to her time."

"You think I'm afraid," Carol stammered. "You think I'm scared that we're not ready."

"Aren't you," Dr. Greene inquired gently. "It's only natural, mamma. This is a big thing you and your man are taking on."

"So what do we do," Daryl demanded. "Speak up, old man, or find me somebody who will."

"I just did, son," Hershel Greene gave the younger man a stern look. "Keep her happy. That's all."

"That I can do," Daryl stood up straight, his hands hanging limply at his sides. "That I can do."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

_The highway was clogged with a snarl of traffic which had no end in sight. Rick's call was strangled but urgent, "Get under the cars." _

_They didn't hesitate nor ask questions. Only one thing could have brought on that reaction, walkers. From her place beneath the old Ford, she could see the shuffling feet and hear the moans. Lori Grimes' hand over her mouth kept her quiet but she could still see. Sophia lay a few feet away, looking pleadingly at her mother, with her doll clutched tightly to her chest. The herd moved slowly, blindly along the road. She heard a disembodied scream but had no idea which of their party had fallen. She willed herself to stay strong for the scared little girl across the way. Their eyes locked and she cried out against Lori's hand at the fear in her baby's eyes. _

_The flow ebbed and thinned. Lori eased her hold but shook her head when Carol moved to speak. Strident screams broke the silence causing both women to look up. Sophia was up and running, two walkers hot on her heels as she vaulted the guard rail and scurried into the woods. _

"_Sophia," Carol screamed. She bolted after her, yanking furiously against Lori's vice like grip on her arm. "Sophia…_

She sat straight up in bed, heart pounding like thunder in her ears. "Sophia," she cried weakly, "wait, baby, wait for mommy."

Daryl grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her roughly when repeated calls of her name failed to catch her attention. "Stop it, Carol, stop. You're okay. You're here with me. Please, Carol."

Her wide, staring eyes found his, shining in the dim light filtering through the window. "My baby," she whimpered pitifully. "She ran off and I couldn't get to her. I couldn't help her."

Daryl shook his head furiously and caught her hands, resting them on her belly and covering them with his own. "She's right here, Carol. She's fine. Sophia is just fine and she's gonna stay that way." She looked down at their joined hands, and then let out a low laugh when something pushed against her palm. "You see," he told her quietly. "She's safe." He pulled her closer, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her as he touched his forehead to hers. "Asskicker is going to be just fine."


End file.
